Whew!  It’s been a long couple of days in Georgetown, Texas as I set about the task of recording photos of 4th of July events in the area.  The coverage actually began a day early, when Sun City held their people and pooch parade.   On hand for that were the Sun City Georgettes, a very cool and colorful bunch of ladies with far more energy than yours truly.   Moving ahead to Friday,  I virtually lived in San Gabriel Park for the Georgetown Sertoma Club’s 4th of July extravaganza.   That began in the morning with their Hometown Parade through the park.   Chase Anderson, 3, and his cousin, 4-year-old Tye Glasscock, were astride their vibrant rides in the opening photo, but were smart to share a cold drink on a hot morning before moving forward.   After about 6 hours, I wandered back to my home in Taylor  to work on the day’s shoot for a few hours, then headed back to the park for the fireworks show.   Alas, San Gabriel Park is so very dark, it’s a tough thing to juxtapose the fireworks with the spectators, but as always, I gave it maximum effort.  Tennessee, a miniature horse that’s part of Fry’s Fun Farm petting zoo, was a big hit.  He’s a month old and only weighs about 30 pounds!    These are a few of the photos I shot for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.

There are various thoughts on the origins of rodeo.   One idea is that it began not as a sporting event, but an essential part of cattle ranching in the Spanish-influenced areas of California in the mid-1800s.   Buffalo Bill Cody held a rodeo as part of his Wild West Show in North Platte, Nebraska in 1882.   And Pecos, Texas claims it held the world’s first rodeo on July 4, 1883.    Regardless of where it began, however, Texas does rodeo pretty well.   Taylor native Bill Pickett, for instance, an African-American, indeed invented the sport of bulldogging, also referred to as steer wrestling.   One thing I do know is that photographing rodeos in small and mid size Texas towns is a wonderful (if dusty) experience.   I had the honor to again photograph Georgetown’s Williamson County Sheriff’s Posse Rodeo this past weekend in their picturesque arena near San Gabriel Park.   It was the 71st year for their event.    On hand was famed rodeo clown Leon Coffee, a member of the Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame.   The competitors gave maximum efforts, including the little folks taking part in Mutton Bustin, where skills are honed riding a sheep.    3-year-old Chase Anderson of Andice, Texas climbed up a fence to check out the livestock before taking his first-ever sheep ride.   His father, Travis, had done the same many years back.   9-month-old Wyatt Lucero was taking in his inaugural rodeo with his mom, Amanda.   “Last year, I was here, but he was in my belly!” exclaimed his excited mama.   These are  a few images I took for the Williamson County Sun.

Don McLean’s hauntingly-beautiful song, “American Pie” is a wonderful tribute to those we lost too soon, including Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, who tragically died in a plane crash.   However, they all left a fine legacy.   It’s fitting that Georgetown’s Palace Theatre once again brings to the Springer Memorial Stage “The Buddy Holly Story.”    Buddy Holly is played by Benjamin Blaise.   Adam Munoz nails Ritchie Valens.   And the Big Bopper would be proud of the performance by Mitch Fairchild.   You won’t be able to sit still when Jacqui Cross takes the stage as an Apollo performer.   Just wow!  This is a fast-moving production, well worth a weekend visit to Georgetown’s historic Art Deco theater on the square.   Here are a few photos to accompany a review in the Williamson County Sun.

In Texas, summer officially began at 5:51 a.m.   Of course, being Texas, it’s been warm for a while now.   Today, however, we had a bit of cloud cover to keep the heat at bay.   It was a good day to wander around for images for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.    Lauren James (opening photo) enjoyed Blue Hole lagoon in Georgetown, Texas with her dogs, Loki and Daisy.   Loki tired of the float and went swimming, but Daisy stayed very close to the float and made certain that her mommy was going to get her back to shore!   Also at Blue Hole were Charisse Laroche, accompanied by her adorable Basset hounds, Scarlett and Cleo.   Teen guitarists Bodhi Linman and C.J. Gross practiced a bit after first taking a dip.   The last photos gives us a look at fly fisherman Chad Spaulding as he enjoys his graceful pastime in the cool waters of the San Gabriel River.   Fly fishing is fishing, of course, but so much more.   What fishing I did growing up in northeast Texas was with my great-uncle Harry, heading to the stock pond with him.  Our equipment was basic:  a cane pole, a cork, a hook and a worm.    But I really do enjoy watching these fly fishermen in action.  What a peaceful way to spend a day on the water.    Stay cool this summer.

Juneteenth was celebrated last weekend in Georgetown, Texas, including a gospel music program at Saving Grace Christian Bible Fellowship Church on Friday night, followed by a day of festivities on Saturday at the San Gabriel Community Center.   This was the 62nd year Juneteenth was coordinated by members of the Georgetown Cultural Citizens Memorial Association.    Juneteenth’s origins date back to June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed in Galveston, announcing the war over and the enslaved free, well over two years after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.  Juneteenth celebrations are held all over the country, but this special day has Texas roots.    The little lady on the bottom left in this post, Patience Shanklin, 2, was beautiful, but Patience wasn’t in a smiling mood!

My official assignment (to come in another post) was coverage of Juneteenth activities in Georgetown, Texas.   A nice Saturday morning, however, momentarily led me into San Gabriel Park.   There I found good pals Taylor Dieringer and Alyssa Melikian enjoying their bright green hammock on the banks of the San Gabriel River.    Summer’s not officially here for  a few days, but in Central Texas, it sure feels like it.   These young ladies were relishing in the days prior to triple digits.    And with Fathers Day upon us, it was nice to see George Binger having a grand time with Jasmine, his beautiful 4-year-old daughter.    Stay cool and hydrated, friends.

The City of Georgetown’s public pools are up and running for the season.    You can generally count on Texas summers to be a mite toasty.   Thankfully the city’s Parks & Recreation Department operates several facilities.   I recently visited two sites, the  traditional pool on Williams Drive, and the Splash Pad at the Georgetown Recreation Center for a story published today in the Williamson County Sun.   The Splash Pad is geared toward the younger set, but moms, dads and grandparents can join in the fun, too.   Be sure to check them out if you’re looking for some relief from the sizzle.

There are those among us who might proclaim “I’m a dog person” or “I prefer cats.”    I’d have to fall into the “none of the above” category.   All these creatures have precious and noteworthy qualities.   Our home shares space with both canine and feline friends, each with her own distinct personality.   With that in mind, it’s good to see groups like the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter host a free pet adoptions day like the one I attended yesterday in Georgetown, Texas.   If adopters chose and adult dog or cat, all fees were waived.   Puppies and kittens were adoptable at half the regular fee.   Shelters all over are notoriously overcrowded.   It’s good to see the public come out and give these sweeties a home and family.  The Williamson County shelter is participating in the 2014 Rachael Ray Challenge and hopes to place as many pets as possible throughout the summer.    Also at Saturday’s adoption event were volunteers from Georgetown Animal Outreach, a group of volunteers that work with area shelters, providing foster homes and other means of support for otherwise unwanted animals.   Their available pets came with a small adoption fee to help defray their operational expenses.   Since they are a non-profit managed by loving volunteers, I completely understand that.   The final photo shows two sleeping puppies, part of a litter of eight pups brought by GAO.  These  babies and their siblings were left in a box on a doorstep.    Thank goodness they found their way to Georgetown Animal Outreach.

A part of my recent busy weekend included covering two Georgetown high school graduations, both held at the Georgetown ISD Athletic Complex.   Georgetown High School (the first 8 photos)  held theirs on Friday night, with 430 young men and women receiving their diplomas.  Friday night’s graduates added a new twist to the tradition cap toss, throwing flour into the air, too.   Administrators had no idea this was coming.   It caught me by surprise, too!   I was back again first thing Saturday morning to cover the first-ever graduation ceremony for East View High School, where 352 kids crossed the stage.  Among them was Triston Sky Gore, wearing her well-worn cowboy boots.   “I always wear my cowboy boots!” she explained.    Wow, was it a hot Texas morning!   I found myself wondering why they don’t make caps and gowns out of dri-fit/wick-away material.   It sure would’ve come in handy.   A number of people on hand to watch the graduates wisely chose to bring umbrellas to stave off a bit of this late-spring blast of heat.    Perhaps the happiest graduate of all was East View graduate Mokeysha Shanklin, who gets a big hug from her cousin, Colby Shanklin in the final photo.   A whole bunch of her big family was there for her big day, including her great-grandmother, Birdie Shanklin.   Congratulations to all on a grand achievement.

The Georgetown Festival of the Arts just concluded its 10th year in Central Texas.   A number of happenings during the festival charged admission fees, but on Saturday night, lovers of good classical music brought their lawn chairs, blankets,  and plenty of food and drink to take  in the atmosphere of San Gabriel Park with no admission charge at all, making this a very family-friendly experience, welcoming to kids and adults alike.  Band directors from the Georgetown ISD brought instruments for children to try out at their Instrument Petting Zoo.  3-year-old Wake Caskey enjoyed the alto saxophone as older brother Ryland, 5, waited his turn.  And 3-year-old Genesis Gonzalez found time to snuggle with Rollo, her chihuahua puppy.   This year’s theme was a Spanish Fiesta (with a French twist) and included music by Isaac Albeniz, Enrique Granados and Manuel de Falla.   Doing the honors on a pleasant night were members of the Round Rock Symphony as well as orchestra, band and choral students from Georgetown High School.    Around 9:30, at the conclusion of the music, a fireworks display filled the clear skies.   Photographing fireworks is something that’s always challenging, but I put forth my efforts with this post.